What’s considered to be an “old” home is somewhat subjective. A person born in 1990 might tell you a 1960s home is ancient, while others, especially those who live in areas where it’s not uncommon to see 18th- and even 17th-century homes, envision an old home as one that’s at least 100 years old. According to the National Register of Historic Places, properties eligible for listing must be at least 50 years old, which feels like good middle ground, but regardless of the age of your home, even if it’s just turned 10, it may need some updating.
Whether you just purchased one of the Banff homes for sale or anywhere else, and it’s 10, 50, 100 years old, or even older, there are simple ways to update it without spending an arm and a leg.
Clean and Paint
The best way to start is by doing a deep cleaning of your main living spaces, followed by changing up the paint. Those two simple things can take any room in the house from drab to fab and even lift the moods of those who spend time in those spaces. White on white is a popular trend, and it’s a great option for making an old home look new. Even if you don’t go with white, paint the walls, ceiling, and trim all one color, ideally in a light, neutral shade. It’s the cheapest and easiest ways to hide things like uneven walls and other imperfections.
Get Rid of the Wallpaper
Many older homes have wallpaper, and if yours does, you’ll definitely want to get rid of it. Some may even be hiding mold underneath, which can lead to health problems. The easiest way to do it is to rent a wallpaper remover from your local hardware or home improvement store.
Create More Open Space
Open floor plans are “in” among homebuyers today, with a dining room, kitchen, and family or living room sharing all one space. It’s a great way to create a more welcoming, updated feel, but you don’t have to tear out your walls to achieve that. Not only will painting it in all one light color, whether it’s white, a warm off-white, or a neutral, help to make it look more open and airy, you can add mirrors, placing them opposite of the windows to reflect light. You can also hang window treatments outside of the window frames at a couple of inches below the ceiling to fool the eyes. Move furniture a little away from the walls and corners to make the space look larger too.
Switch Carpeting for Hardwood Floors
Carpeting is outdated, but installing new hardwood floors can be costly. If you’re lucky, you may have hardwood floors underneath – as you pull it up from the first corner, you’ll easily be able to tell. Even if you don’t, you might be able to squeeze new flooring into your budget by talking to an installer about how much you’d save by removing it yourself. The installer can also provide advice on unusual situations and what to do with that old carpet. If that’s not an option and your home is carpeted throughout, at minimum, get it professionally cleaned.
Switch Up Your Lighting
If you have poorly lit rooms, they’ll appear smaller and outdated, whereas brightly lit rooms give spaces a more welcoming, open, and airy look. Adding tall floor lamps into dark corners and then layering with lamps on side tables will make a big difference. You might also replace outdated ceiling fixtures with more modern masterpieces.